Manager wants us back in office...

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Specializes in peds.

We have been working remotely since Jan 2021( we call pts at home to do a preop assmt), yes, it took a while for our admin to get work from home in place. Our manager now states she wants us back in the office( without reason). There is no reason for us to be in the office as it will be overcrowded. I asked if we as nurses could be part of the conversation with the upper nursing administration as this decision is finalized and was told "NO". Should we pursue with the nsg director as she has the final say and always tells us her door is open? We don't feel our manager will convey the positive points that work from home has provided. And there have been absolutely NO negative issue/problems in the last 6 months we have worked from home and our productivity has increased! Thoughts?

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Realistically? They are going to do what they want to do. It would be interesting to ask your manager the rationale. If you're real brave you could email both of them together (manager and director) and ask the question while also noting the increased productivity if you have some proof of that assertion. Don't go overboard on trying to state positives or make a drawn-out case for staying home. I'm fairly convinced that when nurses try to explain anything all management hears is "wonk wa wonk, wonk..." like Charlie Brown's teacher ?.

I suspect they need you back in the office either because they need to give you more jobs to do or because it's all just too little control for them if you're working comfortably at home. Keep in mind you may not actually know if there are some problems with some of your coworkers' work.

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I worked from home for years. Power tripping managers like to be face to face with the peons. They also like to hold it over your head that "working from home is a privilege". Agree that working from home increases productivity.

The team has nothing to lose by going collectively to the director and stating their case. If the director does not agree.. start the job hunt.

Good luck.

 

 

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11 hours ago, rn30 said:

We have been working remotely since Jan 2021( we call pts at home to do a preop assmt), yes, it took a while for our admin to get work from home in place. Our manager now states she wants us back in the office( without reason). There is no reason for us to be in the office as it will be overcrowded. I asked if we as nurses could be part of the conversation with the upper nursing administration as this decision is finalized and was told "NO". Should we pursue with the nsg director as she has the final say and always tells us her door is open? We don't feel our manager will convey the positive points that work from home has provided. And there have been absolutely NO negative issue/problems in the last 6 months we have worked from home and our productivity has increased! Thoughts?

My thoughts are that nobody wants to go back to work and your administration is probably sick of hearing about it.

It seems like it would be chaotic to manage a bunch of people working from home ...especially as time goes on, old people leave, and new people come onboard. If they already have to pay for the space you traditionally work from, there's really not much incentive for them to continue the current arrangement.

I wouldn't go over the manager's head for being expected to do what I was hired to do where I was hired to do it. If the position was "work from home" in the very beginning and suddenly changed, then I'd definitely have a lot to say about it. 

Do you even wear pants when you make these pre-op calls from home? I know I wouldn't.

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Specializes in school nurse.

This may be a different take on it, but I've heard from people in a few industries about grumbling re: going back to the office. I think that people who are required to should get a "distance and danger differential". We spend time and money commuting and have more risk r/t exposure to infection.

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3 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:

My thoughts are that nobody wants to go back to work and your administration is probably sick of hearing about it.

It seems like it would be chaotic to manage a bunch of people working from home ...especially as time goes on, old people leave, and new people come onboard. If they already have to pay for the space you traditionally work from, there's really not much incentive for them to continue the current arrangement.

I wouldn't go over the manager's head for being expected to do what I was hired to do where I was hired to do it. If the position was "work from home" in the very beginning and suddenly changed, then I'd definitely have a lot to say about it. 

Do you even wear pants when you make these pre-op calls from home? I know I wouldn't.

There is a big  incentive for them to continue the current arrangement. It has proven to increase productivity. It will also improve morale and retention. The company saves money on less cubicle space and utilities.

Who cares if work from home staff wears pants? 

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8 hours ago, Been there,done that said:

There is a big  incentive for them to continue the current arrangement. It has proven to increase productivity. It will also improve morale and retention. The company saves money on less cubicle space and utilities.

Who cares if work from home staff wears pants? 

There's obviously not a big incentive or they wouldn't have shut down the discussion before it started. It also sounds like the real estate is already owned/rented and set up. The cost of electricity is a small price to pay for the convenience of having your staff in one location and being able to communicate face to face with them. And maybe that space is lit all the time anyway. Productivity? ...it doesn't seem to be wowing anyone, even if it has increased.

I totally get the appeal of working at home, I just don't see this going anywhere and I wouldn't care to make myself a target over it. Your suggestion that the OP look for a job more suited to their wants is a good one. I never hurts to take a look around and see what else might be available.

***I'm not wearing pants right now and I hope you're not either.

 

 

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Specializes in peds.

I appreciate most of the replies, not so much the suck it up ones. As a nurse of 32 years I think it’s time we speak up for ourselves respectfully to management or they will continue to keep us down by making us fear for our jobs. Why do nurses consistently allow ourselves to be controlled when we have knowledge, experience and want only what is best for our patients? I will, as will my coworkers,  ask for a reason why they no longer want us to work from home because I think we deserve one as we all have been at this institution 20+ years. If we as nurses refuse to demand improved employee satisfaction then I feel for the rest of you if you have just begun your career. Nurses need to realize after this crazy year they need us!! And btw I wear pants, shirt and brush my teeth before work….

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10 hours ago, rn30 said:

I appreciate most of the replies, not so much the suck it up ones.

Why do people ask for "Thoughts?" and then appreciate only the people who agree with them?

Let us know how it goes.

 

 

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Our EPIC support wanted to continue working from home. We really needed them at the elbow to fully answer questions. It was craziness trying to get them on the phone prior to vaccinations.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
On 6/27/2021 at 2:08 PM, Sour Lemon said:

***I'm not wearing pants right now and I hope you're not either.

 

 

I'm not, and I'm not even a part of the conversation ?

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21 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:
On 6/27/2021 at 4:17 PM, rn30 said:

I appreciate most of the replies, not so much the suck it up ones.

Why do people ask for "Thoughts?" and then appreciate only the people who agree with them?

[...]

As they've usually already decided, they don't want thoughts or suggestions, they want validation.

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